Scaling new heights

The hardships of his childhood have taught Chen Zhou valuable lessons he now wants to share with others. Zhao Ruixue reports in Jinan.

The 31-year-old has traveled throughout China during the last two years, visiting schools, universities and companies with his message: "Nothing is impossible as long as you hold on."

Chen's career as a motivational speaker began in 2012 when he was invited by an Internet addiction recovery center in his hometown Linyi, Shandong province, to talk about what motivated him to climb mountains - something that is especially challenging for Chen since he lost both his legs in a railway accident when he was 13. It was a life-changing moment in an already difficult childhood.

Chen's parents divorced when he was 6. His father was addicted to gambling and his mother married another man, so Chen was sent to live with his grandfather. After the accident, he was confined to his bed for a year. When he emerged from his room, he found that he had been abandoned by his playmates.

"Not wanting to be a burden on my grandfather, I left home to make a living on my own," Chen says.

"It was not easy to make a living by myself. I experienced every sort of bullying, which made me frequently think about ending my life."